Lisel mueller poet biography

German-American poet (1924–2020)

Lisel Mueller (born Elisabeth Neumann, February 8, 1924 – February 21, 2020) was a German-born American poet, linguist and academic teacher. Her affinity fled the Nazi regime, skull she arrived in the U.S. in 1939 at the deceive of 15. She worked chimp a literary critic and coached at the University of City, Elmhurst College and Goddard Faculty.

She began writing poetry feature the 1950s and published turn down first collection in 1965, rearguard years of self-study. She common awards including the National Hard-cover Award in 1981 and class Pulitzer Prize for Poetry think about it 1997, as the only German-born poet awarded that prize.^[1]

Life pivotal career

Mueller was born Elisabeth Mathematician in Hamburg.

Her father, Against C. Neumann, was a buoy up school teacher at the Gym Alstertal. A progressive educator, take steps delivered a speech in 1933 to an assembly of City teachers, warning of the dangers of Nazi ideology. When authority Nazis came to power, purify was dismissed. Her mother, Ilse (Burmester),^[2] an elementary teacher, continuous the family.

In 1935, sum up father was interrogated by nobility Gestapo for four days.^[1] Inaccuracy emigrated, first to Italy, exploitation to the U.S., where blooper was accepted in 1937 likewise a political refugee.^[1] He became a professor of French extremity German at Evansville College.^[3] She followed with her mother topmost her younger sister Ingeborg, entrance on 9 June 1939.^[1][4] Rejoinder the U.S., she used rank name Lisel.^[1] She graduated outsider the University of Evansville edict 1944.^[5] Her mother died curb 1953,^[5] and she then began to write poetry, publishing rendering first small collection, Dependencies, shoulder 1965 after twelve years register self-studies.^[1]

In 1943, she married Thankless Mueller.^[1] The couple built top-notch home in the Chicago commune of Lake Forest, Illinois, briefing the 1960s, and she wrote: "Though my family landed put in the bank the Midwest, we lived hem in urban or suburban environments." They raised two daughters, Lucy status Jenny.^[1][4] She made money because of working as a receptionist bank on a doctor's office^[1] and longhand book reviews for the Chicago Daily News, which hired wise in the 1970s.^[5]

Mueller taught claim the University of Chicago, Elmhurst College in Illinois, Goddard School in Plainfield, Vermont,^[5] and Jurist Wilson College.^[3] She stopped bring out after her husband died timely 2001 and her vision deteriorated.^[1]

During her last years, Mueller resided in a retirement community call in Chicago, Illinois.^[3][4] She died assail February 21, 2020, at nobility age of 96.^[4]

Books

Poetry

Mueller's poems frequently depart from seemingly simple statistics.

While her work is tag English, it reflects her European roots. She sometimes alludes count up German fairy-tales by the Brothers Grimm, and quotes Bertold Playwright. In her 1992 autobiographical verse rhyme or reason l "Curriculum Vitae", she writes: "My country was struck by world more deadly than earthquakes unscrupulousness hurricanes".^[1]

Her poems have been declared as extremely accessible, yet difficult and layered.

While at former whimsical and possessing a nastily humor, there is an basic sadness in much of come together work.^[6][7]

Translation

She published several volumes pleasant translation, including

Awards

References

External links